How to Get More Done in Your Workday

Are you someone who finds your work running away from you? If so, you’re not the only one.

Many people today struggle with getting all they need done on a workday, which is why it is so important to learn how to manage and execute the day in a much more economical manner quite early in your career.

The more you get done in your workday, the happier you will be. Therefore, with that in mind, here are a few key ways that you can work to get more out of your workday:

 

1.  Get Up Earlier

 

There is a lot of time in your day that is actually wasted. And, though it may surprise you, that time is when you are sleeping rather than doing stuff.

Although you may like your extra snooze in the mornings, it can actually be the best period of the day to perform tasks and achieve something meaningful with a little more additional time. So, getting up earlier is actually the better way to do things.

Of course, if you have a long commute and get up at the crack of dawn anyway then this isn’t feasible. But for most getting up half an hour before work, it can certainly be a more preferable way to live. And you can get a lot more done!

 

2.  Create To-Do Lists

 

If you struggle to keep track of your work, then why not put yourself together a traditional to-do list?

Not only can this make tracking your work easier, but it can also give you a solid format to your everyday working life.

Tackle each day step by step and you will have a solid foundation getting the work done in the best way possible.

You may be surprised at how much easier managing your day is when you break it up into microtasks.

 

3.  Start with the Hardest Tasks

 

One of the things that you need to really focus on when it comes to a hard day’s work is… exactly that, the hard parts. If you focus on and get the difficult tasks done first, then the rest of your time can be spent winding down for the day and dealing with the smaller aspects.

If you aim to get the hard work done early in the morning, you then also have time if something goes wrong. Work isn’t hard without reason and so having the time to deal with any issues that may occur is important.

For example, you should deal with clients like corporate solicitors first thing in the morning as that will be difficult. But, then work on a fun dog walking client next. All depending on the breadth of your work, of course. And also it can help you to determine how to deal with a similar instance next time (making you more efficient hopefully).

 

4.  Clean Your Desk

 

An untidy desk is a bad sign most of the time, as it means you are less organized than you could be. Which also means that you may or may not get a lot less done than you really should.

Cleaning your desk doesn’t necessarily mean bleaching it for germs (though you can). Tidying it can actually have a bigger effect when it comes to your desk. As the clutter is the most distracting/worst part.

Become clutter-free and your work may run surprisingly smoothly thereafter. Get your desk in order and you may be surprised at how much better your house then looks!

 

5.  Learn to Say “No”

 

Sometimes we don’t get enough done with our workdays for a very simple reason: we keep getting given more. For that reason, it can be incredibly important to learn a valuable lesson. Saying no to anything that is not a priority or your responsibility to begin with.

It can be very difficult to say no at work, especially if you are relatively new or early in your career. However, it is a good lesson to learn and then adapt to your everyday life.

Without learning to say “no”, you can quickly be bogged down with endless requests for favors and tasks from every Tom, Dick and Harry who needs you to do ‘one more thing.’ That derails you from your core goals, responsibilities and duties.

Say “no” politely but firmly and these requests will quickly dry up. People will soon realize that you are not someone to take advantage of.

 

6.  Focus on One Task, Not Many

 

Tasks can pile up in their numbers. And it’s our instinct to try and deal with them all at once, in the hope that we can manage them efficiently. However, this can often be worse than just dealing with them one by one. If you focus on one task exclusively then it’s much easier to complete.

So, keep your tasks in a line and deal with them one by one. If you do so then you can manage to get more done with your workday.

 

Final Thoughts

 

At the end of the day, it is important to understand what is disrupting your day and causing you to get little work done. As soon as you remove or make room for those issues, you can then create a work plan to navigate them and eventually remove them entirely.

And when you do that, you’ll find yourself getting more and more done with your day in general.